Electrode arrangement for controlling electric arcs



Feb. 18, 1936. w. G. THOMPSON 2,031,435

* ELECTRODE ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRIC ARCS Filed Oct. 12, 1954 13 10 2 Flg. 1

J 126' 11 32 .27 1 25 T 36 9 5 Q CHOKE I 6 3 21 28 10 \15 19 1' Z 35 A r H n I oF TESLA OIL r/05mins F g MAIN "Emmi-02mm UNITED fiT'iES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRODE ARRANGEMENT FOR CON- TROLLING ELECTRIC ARCS William George Thompson, Wembley, England, assignor to The General Electric Company Limited, London, England Application October 12, 1934, Serial No. 748,022 In Great Britain October 10, 1933 Claims. (Cl. 175363) This invention relates to electrode arrangeing a flu d flow adapted o ma ta n the a c ments for controlling electric arcs and is more rooted on the W g c particularly concerned with electrode arrangeu y the initiating electrode s e m ments for electric arc converters, although some With e fi electrode and is disposed on both 5 features thereof may be usefully employed in Sides of t latterconnection with alternating current circuit in- Provision is made for Passing a stream f fl d terrupters. One object of the invention is the adapted to carry the ar fr m h init atin ele provision of. improved electrode arrangements Mode to the first electrode over the initiating whereby rc may b reliably t 11 Ann electrode towards the first electrode from opother object is the provision of electrode arrangeposite id s thereof. In fact provision is made 10 ments such that large arcing currents may be for Passing a stream of fluid towards he fi st carried by the electrodes without undue heating electrode from both sides a d a nd he Whole thereof, circumference thereof and past the working face An electrode arrangement for n- 11m an of the electrode through narrow ducts communi- 15 electric arc fed from an alternating power supeating with the arcing p a or wa s Oppo t 15 ply according to the present invention comprises Sides of the Working face of e fi t d an electrode with a relatively long but narrow Means for producing a magne c fie s p v e Working face and means adapted t produce for effecting movement of the are rooted on the netic flux having a, component across th aid fiI'Sl; BIBCtIOdE relative to the latter and at least working face, provision being made for producing the first electrode is formed or associated with a fluid flow adapted to assistin maintaining the ducts for the passage of Cooling darc rooted on the Working face, It will be understood that each phase of the According t th i ti moreover, an 1 converter is provided with two sets of electrodes trode arrangement comprises electrodes with opsuch as described above, the t being Si ila posed relatively long b t narrow working faces to one another and the working faces of the elecand me for causing relative movement in a trodes of the two sets being disposed opposite one direction along the length of the working faces another 50 that there are Short gaps therebebetween the latter and an are rooted thereon and tweennarrow d t on opposite id of t working One arrangement of converter in accordance faces for the passage of fluid directed towards With the invention will now he described by Way 30 the said faces from both sides thereof. of example w h reference to the mpany n Further, in accordance with the invention we drawings Figure 1 of which Shows a central provide an arrangement comprising an electrode tional elevation of one phase of the converter and e giving a long path for the root of an arc caused Figure 2 plan on the line A B of Figure means for causing relative movement between the horizontal plane Fhrough the line are the said face and the root of an are seated there- Similar they are Simllafly referen3ed- Each of on, and an initiating electrode arranged adjacent the electrode faces 9 the Opposmg electrodes to the first electrode, provision being made for of the phase are Constltuted by an annular part producing a fluid flow adapted to transfer an are on the one end e cyltnder The annu' 40 from the initiating electrode to the first electrode lar falectrode 1S dlsposed m the annular f and by acting at opposite sides of the working hem/gen two Inner outer parts 3 and 4 face of the electrode to maintain the are rooted Spectlvely of Strongly dlvergetlt nozzle Shape on the Said face. 7 convergent nozzle shape, forming the end port1ons 45 of two cylinders 5, 6 concentric with the cylinder 2. The end of the cylinder 6 remote from the arc gap is closed. The parts 3 and 4 constitute the initiating electrodes. The electrodes I, 3,

Thus one electrode arrangement for use in an electric arc converter comprises an electrode providing an annular or equivalent endless working face means for causing relative movement in a and t above the line A-B are electrically condirection along the length of the Working face nected together and similarly the electrodes I, 3, 50

between the latter and an are rooted thereon and and 4 below t li e A B. an initiating electrode extending alongside the h upper and lower cylinders 6 are in effect first electrode and from which an are after initiahousings for the upper and lower el r d s a d tion thereat is adapted to be transferred to the are connected by a further insulating cylinder 5. first electrode, provision being made for pro uo fl and annular top and bottom face members 8 to move over the-working face of the electrode, In Figure since the parts above and below and 9, the whole arrangement being made gas tight.

A circular plate I0 is bolted to the interior of the cylinder 6 and carries the cylinder 2 and the cylinder 5. The plate II] is centrally apertured and through the cylinder 5 extends an annular throat piece I I of magnetic material, which is shaped at one end to fit the divergent nozzlelike end 3 of the cylinder 5. The other end of the cylinder II extends through the plate III and is bolted to a spider member I2 also of magnetizable material.

From the ends of the arms of the spider member there extends rods I3 of magnetizable may terial which pass through the convergent nozzle portions 4 and are attached to an annulus M of magnetizable material. on the cylinder 5 and consequently when the winding I5 is energized there is a flux path created over the throat II, spider I2, rods I3 and annulus I4. In other words there is a strong magnetic field set up in the gap between the parts 3 and 4. The electromagnetic winding I5 is enclosed in a metal sheathing I6 to protect it from the hot are products.

The spider I2 is suitably apertured to permit of gaseous fluid being blown through the throat II and pipes I'I, I8 respectively of insulating material lead into the space'between the plate I0 and the end wall I9 of the cylinder 6 and the space enclosed by the cylinder 1. The pipes I! and I8 are connected to the pressure side of an air pump 20 driven in any suitable manner for example by an electric motor 2I. Outlet pipes 22 are provided from the space between the electrodes and the plate III to which the electrode supporting cylinder 2 extends; suitable apertures are provided in the cylinder 2 to provide communication for gaseous fluid from the inside to the outside of this cylinder.

The lower cylinder 5 is mounted on insulators 23, and connections are made by bolting conductors 28 to the exterior of the cylindrical containers 6.

From the foregoing description it will be realized that the two sets of electrodes I provide between the inner parts of the initiating electrodes 3, 4 a circular, outwardly extending, tapering, nozzle-like passage 24 leading to the annular spaces within the cylinder 2 and between the outer parts of the initiating electrodes a circular, .inwardly extending, tapering, nozzle-like passage 25 leading to the space between the cylinders 2 and 6. Accordingly in operation the stream of air supplied in the manner above indicated fiows through the throat II outwardly over the surfaces of the inner parts 3 of the initiating electrodes and through the gaps between the said parts 3 and the first electrode I. The construction is such that substantially uniform flow of gas is obtained around the whole lengths of the gaps. The gas flowing past a first electrode passes into the container directly associated with the latter and through an outlet aperture in the container wall. Means may be provided for adjusting separately the velocity of the inwardly and outwardly directed parts of the gas stream.

The first electrodes I are slightly set back from the initiating electrodes 3, 4. Thus the gap between upper and lower sets of the former may, for example, be twice as long as the gap between the latter. Means may be provided whereby the lengths of the gaps between the initiating electrodes and between the first electrodes may readily and separately be adjusted.

A winding I5 is mounted Each of the first electrodes I is in the form of a hollow ring of rectangular cross section and provision is made for circulating suitable cooling liquid through the interior 26 of the ring. Liquid may also be circulated through cavities 21 in the initiating electrodes. The magnetizing coils I5 may also be cooled by passing fluid through the armatures or/and through pipes or jackets surrounding the coils.

In the circuit arrangement shown in Figure 1 the converter represented by the main electrode I and initiating electrodes 3 and 4 is supplied from an alternating current source 3I through a transformer 32, the secondary winding 33 of which is connected in series with a resistance 34 representing the load, choke 31, the converter itself, choke 36 and the secondary winding 35 of a Tesla coil for applying initiating voltages. the chokes 36 and 31 preventing the high frequency impulses from the Tesla coil injuring the transformer 32 or load 34, condensers 38, 39 being also provided.

In operation, an are started by the Tesla coil arrangement between the initiating electrodes 3,

4 of the two sets is transferred by the stream of gas to the first electrodes I around which the arc is caused to move by the magnetic field thereat, thus preventing any one point of the electrode surfaces from becoming too hot and worn. At the zero point in the cycle the arc becomes extinguished and owing to the strong cooling of the first electrodes I and the diffusion of ions into the gaseous streams restriking of the arc until it is reinitiated between the initiating electrodes is prevented.

The arrangement described above may be modified in many different ways, for example, the sets of electrodes need not be similar. Thus one set may comprise a nozzle shaped control electrode surrounded by a relatively wide ring and the other set may comprise a cylindrical control electrode somewhat wider than the internal diameter of the ring and an outer nozzle ring providing a nozzle like space between itself and the outer part of the wide'ring. In such cases gas flows outwardly from the nozzle-shaped control electrode and through the space between the latter and the wide ring. Gas also flows inwardly between the nozzle-ring and the wide ring and through the space between the nozzle ring and the cylindrical central electrode. The initiating electrodes are constituted by the nozzle shaped central electrode, the nozzle ring and the opposing parts of the cylindrical central electrode and the wide ring. The working faces of the first electrodes are constituted by the opposing parts of the wide ring and the cylindrical central electrodes.

I claim:-

1. An arrangement for controlling an electric are fed from an alternating current supply, comprising in combination a pair of opposed electrodes, each of said electrodes having a long but narrow working face, nozzle elements on each sidev of the respective working faces and separated therefrom by narrow ducts, means for causing a fiow of cooling fluid past the working faces of the electrodes and on opposite sides thereof through said ducts and cooperatng magnet members arranged to produce a magnetic flux component across the respective working faces for causing movement of the are along said working faces.

2. An arrangement for controlling an electric are fed from an alternating current supply, comprising in combination a pair of annular main electrodes with opposed working faces, arc initiating electrodes extending alongside each main electrode and separated therefrom by narrow ducts, means for causing a flow of cooling fluid past the working faces of the main electrodes and on opposite sides thereof through said ducts and means for producing a magnetic flux component across the respective working faces of the main electrodes for causing movement of the are along said working faces.

3. An arrangement for controlling an electric are fed from an alternating current supply, comprising in combination a pair of annular main electrodes with opposed working faces, are initiating annular electrodes on each side of and extending along the main electrodes, the working faces of said main electrodes being separated from the initiating electrodes by narrow ducts, means for causing a flow of cooling fluid past the working faces of the main electrodes and on opposite sides thereof through said ducts and means for producing a magnetic flux component across the working faces of said main electrodes for causing movement of the are along said working faces.

4. An arrangement for controlling an electric are fed from an alternating current supply comprising in combination a pair of annular main electrodes with opposed working faces, annular arc initiating electrodes arranged nozzle-like on each side of said main electrodes, the latter being separated therefrom by narrow ducts, means for causing a flow of cooling fluid over the initiating electrodes and the associated main electrodes, through said ducts and means for producing a magnetic flux component across the working faces of said main electrodes for causing movement of the arc along said working faces.

5. An arrangement for controlling an electric arc fed from an alternating current supply comprising in combination main electrodes with opposed working faces, said main electrodes being provided with internal channels for the passage therethrough of cooling fluid, arc initiating electrodes extending alongside said main electrodes and separated therefrom by narrow ducts, means for causing a flow of fluid past the working faces of the main electrodes on opposite sides thereof and through the said ducts and means for producing a magnetic flux component across the working faces of said main electrodes for causing movement of the are along said working faces.

WILLIAM GEORGE THOMPSON. 

